The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is calling on the government of Ghana to cease the reported forced repatriation of Burkinabe nationals seeking refuge in Ghana.
A statement issued by the UN refugee agency expressed concern by reports about deportations of hundreds of Burkinabe citizens, mainly women and children, from Ghana’s north.
This has, however, been refuted by Ghanaian officials via the Ministry of National Security.
“The Ministry refutes such claims and wishes to state that Ghana is committed to accommodating Burkinabe nationals who have been displaced into the Upper East and Upper West regions of Ghana due to the prevailing security situation in southern Burkina Faso.”
But in its statement issued on Wednesday, July 12, UNHCR said the exercise being undertaken by Ghanaian officials “amount to a violation of the non-refoulement principle, and guarantee access to the territory and asylum to nationals of Burkina Faso seeking international protection”.
Non-refoulement is a fundamental principle enshrined in international law, which prohibits the return of an asylum seeker or a refugee to countries where his life or freedom would be threatened.
According to the UNHCR, it has been collaborating with the Government of Ghana to support efforts to ensure the protection of over 8,000 Burkinabe nationals who sought protection as a result of the ongoing conflict in Burkina Faso.
“In the framework of this cooperation, a Reception Centre managed jointly by the Ghana Refugee Board and UNHCR with a capacity of 4,000 individuals has been inaugurated in the Upper East Region to relocate Burkinabe refugees away from the border for security reasons.”
It, therefore, received the reports with concern.
UNHCR concedes that Ghana has a longstanding history of upholding its international obligations towards refugees and will stand ready to support the government to address the needs of Burkinabe nationals fleeing the ongoing conflict.